In Barbara Conrey's tragic contemporary novel of love, lust, family and redemption, A FINE LAYER OF DUST, Attorney Jake Trenton's perfectly ordered life unravels when he loses a promotion and his wife announces she wants to become a surrogate. While he spends even more time at the office to prove his worth, he worries about the effects on their family if Sophia carries a baby for a stranger.

Once Sophia explains how important it is to her to bear a child for someone who can't, Jake reluctantly agrees. However, when the embryo transfer is successful, Jake's carefully constructed world crumbles beneath the memory of his brother's death, which occurred years ago in the same month the baby is due.

With nightmares plaguing his sleep and rage consuming his days, Jake makes a devastating choice that will forever alter the lives of two families. Suddenly, he is the kind of man he never thought he would be. Jake must confront the darkest parts of himself and question everything he thought he knew about love, loss, and what it truly means to heal.

This idea for this novel grew out of a tragedy in Barbara's life. In writing A FINE LAYER OF DUST, Barbara found a sense of clarity, forgiveness, and a semblance of peace. She now shares it with us.

A FINE LAYER OF DUST by Barbara Conrey is in bookstores now.

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(c) 2025 Josie Brown